Orte is a town,comune, former Catholic bishopric and Latintitular see in theprovince of Viterbo, in the central Italian region ofLazio, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north ofRome and about 24 kilometres (15 mi) east ofViterbo.
Orte aerial panorama. June 2024Orte and the River Tiber. June 2024.Orte and its significance as a transport hub from above. June 2024.
Orte is situated in theTiber Valley on a hightuff cliff, encircled to North and East from a handle of the Tevere river. It is an important road and rail hub.
TheEtruscans inhabited the area from the 6th century BC and called itHurta,[4] as testified by the findings in anecropolis nearby, now preserved in theVatican Museums. Two major battles between Etruscans and Romans (310 and 283 BC) were fought nearby on the shores of theVadimone lake. The Romans were victorious both times.
The Romans domination made it the municipality ofHorta (alsoHortanum).[5] Under the rule ofAugustus, it received numerouspublic works. Because of its strategic position, Orte was occupied in succession by the Ostrogoths, theByzantines and theLombards. During the late 9th to early 10th century, along with much of central Italy, Orte was also held or threatened by theSaracens.[6]
In theMiddle Ages, the city was never seat of a fief, becoming a freecomune under apodestà (elected magistrature). Later it became part of thePapal States.
George Dennis visited Orte in the 1840s. He describes it as picturesque, but having scarcely any visible Roman or Etruscan remnants.[7]
Sant'Egidio Abate's Day and Ottava of Sant'Egidio: from 31 August to the second Sunday in September. A Medieval festival with shows, fairs, conventions, seminaries of study, art exhibitions of art and archery competitions (the "Palio", contented by the archers of the Seven Contrade).
Religious procession of Dead Christ: every Friday before Easter. A torchlight procession representing early religions orders ("Confraternity").
Ferdinando Ughelli,Italia sacra, vol. I, second edition, Venice 1717, coll. 733-743
Tommaso M. Mamachi,De episcopatus hortani antiquitate ad hortanos cives liber singularis, Rome 1759
Giuseppe Cappelletti,Le Chiese d'Italia della loro origine sino ai nostri giorni, vol. VI, Venice 1847, pp. 23–49
Louis Duchesne,Le sedi episcopali nell'antico ducato di Roma, inArchivio della romana società di storia patria, Volume XV, Rome 1892, p. 491
Paul Fridolin Kehr,Italia Pontificia, vol. II, Berlin 1907, pp. 192–194
Gerhard Schwartz,Die Besetzung der Bistümer Reichsitaliens unter den Sächsischen und Salischen Kaisern : mit den Listen der Bischöfe, 951-1122, Leipzig-Berlin 1913, p. 259
Francesco Lanzoni,Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604), vol. I, Faenza 1927, pp. 546–547
Pius Bonifacius Gams,Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, pp. 685–686
Konrad Eubel,Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, vol. 1, pp. 278–279; vol. 2, pp. XXVI e 166
